Any truly effective DIY coating for headers?

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Doc - 30 Jun 2007 01:44 GMT

Is there anything the DIY'er can put on headers that really lasts and
protects? Barbecue grill paint seems to last for a bit but obviously
isn't the magic solution.

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larry moe 'n curly - 30 Jun 2007 13:01 GMT

> Is there anything the DIY'er can put on headers that really lasts and
> protects? Barbecue grill paint seems to last for a bit but obviously
> isn't the magic solution.

VHT brand paint (www.vhtpaint.com)? In one hot rod magazine's test it
performed almost as well as some specialty coatings that had to be
factory applied.

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HLS@nospam.nix - 30 Jun 2007 20:13 GMT

> > Is there anything the DIY'er can put on headers that really lasts and
> > protects? Barbecue grill paint seems to last for a bit but obviously
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> performed almost as well as some specialty coatings that had to be
> factory applied.

I havent tried VHT in this application for years. The old stuff was a bit
disappointing to me

You may remember that some of the old Jaguars had enamel or porcelain
coatings on their headers. These were a bit prone to chip, but were
beautiful. ( Sauereisen made some products that could be applied and
baked onto metal and it looked and acted much like porcelain. Havent
looked into them, either, in a long time.)

For my part, I liked to try to keep the heat going out the exhaust and
not into my engine compartment. Paint wont help here. Coatings will
help some, but the high temperature tape wraps would, I think, top
them all in ease of application and heat retention.

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Steve W. - 03 Jul 2007 05:32 GMT

>>> Is there anything the DIY'er can put on headers that really lasts and
>>> protects? Barbecue grill paint seems to last for a bit but obviously
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> help some, but the high temperature tape wraps would, I think, top
> them all in ease of application and heat retention.

The problem with the wraps are that they trap so much heat that the
engine runs HOT and they destroy headers in short order due to the
higher temperatures.

If they are NEW then Jet Hot is about the best you can get. Because they
coat inside and out it helps prevent rusting and helps lower the
underhood temps as well.

Signature

Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

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hls - 03 Aug 2007 03:07 GMT

> The problem with the wraps are that they trap so much heat that the engine
> runs HOT and they destroy headers in short order due to the higher
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> coat inside and out it helps prevent rusting and helps lower the underhood
> temps as well.

I would think that the factory ceramic coatings are best, and that might be
just what Jet Hot IS.

Rusting is a different matter. If the inside of the header stays dry, it
does
not rust. It may have other forms of corrosion, however. I dont know about
the engine running hot. I yield to your experience. I do not see how wraps
would make an engine run hotter, but maybe you can educate me.

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Steve W. - 03 Aug 2007 09:12 GMT

>> The problem with the wraps are that they trap so much heat that the
>> engine runs HOT and they destroy headers in short order due to the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> I would think that the factory ceramic coatings are best, and that might be
> just what Jet Hot IS.

Yup, Jet Hot is a ceramic (or they also do metal sprays now as well) and
it coats the interior and exterior of the pipes.

> Rusting is a different matter. If the inside of the header stays dry,
> it does not rust. It may have other forms of corrosion, however. I dont know
> about the engine running hot. I yield to your experience. I do not see how
> wraps would make an engine run hotter, but maybe you can educate me.

The wraps trap heat in the headers instead of allowing it to radiate
out. Because the headers are made out of thin steel all the trapped heat
causes problems. The constant temperature actually works to erode the
steel (kind of like a rifle in a hot caliber will burn out the bore) and
the wraps also collect moisture and hold it near the pipes.

Signature

Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

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* - 01 Jul 2007 11:10 GMT

Doc <docsavage20@yahoo.com> wrote in article
<1183164288.499489.169870@u2g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>...

> Is there anything the DIY'er can put on headers that really lasts and
> protects? Barbecue grill paint seems to last for a bit but obviously
> isn't the magic solution.

We have always treated the headers on the race car by running the engine to
heat the headers, then coating them with automatic transmission fluid.

It leaves a nice black finish.

Do it outdoors since it DOES generate a LOT of smoke.

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